Rejected Alpha Mate (Nightmist Black Ops Wolves #4)

Chapter 1 - Donna

I must be crazy.

Or maybe I’m just highly ambitious.

My brother always said that being so ambitious would get me into trouble one day.

So far, it’s gotten me through the Lunaris uprising, when like-minded werewolves protested to the higher-ups in the pack to be allowed to mix with the humans and attend college.

It allowed me to venture into the human world to accomplish my dream of becoming a psychologist.

My ambitious tendencies also helped me reach graduation, which was earlier today. My brother has nothing to worry about.

Even if I’m crossing uncharted territory tonight.

“Hey, is something wrong?” the man I’m clinging to asks, and I clutch his arm tighter, taking a deep breath before throwing him a smile.

“No,” I dismiss as I meet his blue eyes, feeling a wave of calm wash over me.

That’s what Tobias Peck has been through the stormiest days—a breath of fresh air, a friend who never probed or pried during the nights I cried, or the nights I spent cramming for the next day’s exam.

Come hell or high water, Tobias has been a constant grounding force in my life, and he’s my closest friend, second only to Cecelia.

The only problem?

I keep my biggest secret from Tobias.

He has no idea that I’m a werewolf, and he’s about to walk into the lion’s den. Obliviously, but it’s about time he met my family and those important to me. He’s a dear friend, too, and I don’t think I’d have survived four years of college without him.

Especially this last year….

“I’m just…I don’t know,” I shrug, shivering into his side. Tobias keeps his arm firm, where I have mine slinked in, showing a strength beyond what his lanky form suggests. “I guess I just can’t believe that it’s over.”

Tobias chuckles. “Oh, so does this mean you’re gonna miss me? Is that what you’re admitting now?”

Playfully sticking out my tongue, I jab him in the ribs with a fist. He groans and whimpers, keeling over to mime the extent of his injury.

“I’m not gonna miss you, dummy!” I tease, rolling my eyes. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“No, of course not,” Tobias snickers, his eyes twinkling like the ocean as he stares out ahead of us, his spine straightening and his arm firming up again. “And neither are you. I’m really glad you decided to stick to your plans and stay in the city.”

“Yeah, me too,” I sigh, my chest filling with an ache that feels almost ancient. I shudder discontentedly, not welcoming the feeling.

I’ve been putting off facing what I’ve felt since I found out about the party my brother is throwing for me to celebrate graduation. And as we enter the Terramor Resort, a wisp of warm, smoke-filled air hits my nose like a signal of danger lurking behind the glamorous tents.

Gulping hard, I tighten my hand around Tobias’s arm, clinging to him as if I need to siphon strength from a human.

As a professional, I know this isn’t healthy.

As a werewolf, my inner wolf is sneering.

I’m no vampire sucking life force from an unsuspecting human, but I’m hardly a brave werewolf when it comes to uncharted territory.

Dominic promised that his friends would behave tonight in the company of a human, and I don’t doubt it.

I mean…I shouldn’t. So this inexplicable dread that coils in the pit of my belly isn’t there because I don’t trust my brother and his friends around my human friend.

It’s because I don’t trust myself around him.

I can only hope and pray that he doesn’t make it tonight.

“Hm…it seems they already have the barbecue going,” Tobias chirps with a nervous half-smile. “Are you sure it’s okay that I’m here tonight?”

“Of course, Toby!” I assure him with a gentle squeeze to his arm. “My sister-in-law is dying to meet you. Besides, I’m not letting you spend graduation night alone.”

Tobias stops, throwing me a brilliant smile that flashes his perfect set of teeth, glinting under the moonlight. “I’m really lucky to have you as a friend, Donna. Thank you.”

I shake my head slowly. “No, thank you, Toby. I would not have survived college without you.”

“Eh—” Tobias hums in contemplation. “I think you woulda been just fine, Donna. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

Nodding thoughtfully, I try to accept Tobias’s seemingly blind faith in me, wondering if those were the words I needed to hear to make it through tonight. But I hardly have faith in myself when I’ve watched my mental state crumble before, as if I wasn’t strong enough to keep my heart protected.

I clear my throat and dismiss the intrusive thoughts threatening to steal my peace and this night that was meant to be mine. Just as I’m clinging to Tobias’s arm, I’ll cling to every flicker of joy life has to offer me.

I refuse to let him steal my peace. A year of pain and heartbreak was enough torture to last a lifetime, and I’ve picked up the pieces of my heart and locked them in a cage where no one will access them ever again. It’s how I’ll survive the rest of my life.

It’s just unfortunate that he’s one of Dominic’s best friends, which means I’m forced to face him and pretend that nothing ever happened that summer.

It’s okay…you’re gonna be okay…you just have to pretend that he’s not there…

I tell myself, my inner wolf repeating those words with strong conviction, like the morning affirmations I say in the mirror to keep my spirits high.

My inner wolf is the only one who witnessed my suffering, understood my plight, and held me on those nights when my human body couldn’t bear the pain.

It was my wolf fur that cloaked my torture, held me like a blanket or an embrace I yearned to have, but couldn’t.

I’d rather die than tell my brother or Cecelia about what happened last summer. Apart from making a complete fool of myself, I can’t ruin what they have with the other retired members of my brother’s black ops squad.

As if to reiterate that very fact, we arrive at the fire pits at the back of the outdoor resort to find the group sharing beers and casual chatting around the fire, the picture of warmth and familiarity.

“Dons!” Dominic notices us and rushes forward, lifting me off my feet with a nimble sweep of his strong arms. I’m spun around twice before I’m set back on my feet, barely catching my breath when Dominic erratically fluffs the top of my head, tousling my hair out of the tight bun.

Giggling, I allow myself to become immersed in the comfort of being around my older brother, even if he’s being annoying.

He stops trying to tickle my ribs, pauses, and sizes Tobias up from head to toe through narrowed eyes. Sticking out a hand, my brother clears his throat.

“You're Tobias Peck, aren't you?” he asks with a measured look, one brow slightly raised.

“Y-yes, that's me,” Tobias grins, his initial nervousness slipping when he shakes Dominic's hand. “I'm sorry I missed you at the ceremony. The dean pulled me away to speak.”

Dominic smirks as he steps forward, patting Tobias's arm with his free hand. “As long as you're not in any kind of trouble, yeah?”

“Oh, I can assure you, Mr. Rivera, that wasn't the case.”

Dominic frowns, turning his disbelieving eyes to me. “Mister?” he scoffs incredulously, pointing at himself, his dark chocolate-brown eyes glimmering with mischief. Or maybe they're shining with the temptation of ripping Tobias's head off.

“Am I that old?” Dominic snickers, and I pat his cheek lightly.

“You are getting old, brother. Might as well embrace it,” I tease, and Dominic continues trying to annoy me with jabs to my ribs, but my attention is hardly on him when my best friend, Cecelia, comes jogging toward me, her arms open wide.

“Dons!”

“Cece!”

I sigh in her arms as she hugs me tightly, the weight of the world collapsing with a single embrace. I might have just seen her this afternoon when she and Dominic attended my graduation ceremony, but the afterparty is a battle I hadn’t been prepared for when Dominic told me about the surprise.

“Plus, all my friends are gonna be there,” he’d added with a broad, proud grin, as if that was the cherry on the top.

It would have been if one of those friends had been left out. My gut wouldn't have twisted into a knot if Dominic had just told me that one particular friend couldn't make it.

My only hope was that something last-minute kept him tied up and he couldn't make it. But no such luck; when I finally open my eyes, I spot the pair of insanely sharp, penetrating jade orbs, glowing with ferocity as if they belong to an oracle who's having a vision.

Or worse, he's plotting my demise, and a cold shiver of dread travels down my spine, settling at the base and keeping me still.

I gulp hard as Cecelia draws back, her face becoming a shield. I breathe out a soft sigh of relief when I meet her warm, hazel eyes, finding comfort yet again, protection from the menace of the eyes I swore I'd never meet again.

Cecelia smiles at me, oblivious to the torrent of emotions in my tightening chest. Rage and sadness are a deadly combination for someone with a wolf, and it takes every ounce of inner strength to hold myself back from running off and bursting into wolf form somewhere in these woods.

But even Dominic swore that no one would be shifting tonight, so there's no danger of Tobias finding out what we truly are.

Cecelia is just about to say something when her eyes flit to Tobias. “Ah, this must be the famous Tobias I’ve been hearing about,” she says warmly, stepping forward and extending her hand. “Congratulations, both of you. Graduating is a huge deal.”

Tobias, ever the charmer, takes her hand politely. “Thank you, Mrs. Rivera—”

Cecelia bursts into laughter before he can finish. “Oh, no! Just Cecelia, please. You’ll make me sound ancient.”

Tobias grins nervously, rubbing the back of his neck in that awkwardly endearing way that makes everyone like him instantly. “Got it. Cecelia. I’m sorry. I’m just nervous.”

“I can tell,” Cecelia giggles. “If you were paying any attention, you would have realized that I’m Donna’s age.”